“Super Champion? Unified Champion?...Wh-what?” Allow me to explain…
In 1910, off the back of a vote by the National Sporting Club (NSC) of London, England, eight clear weight divisions of professional boxing were implemented as a standard. The point of the weight divisions was to increase fair competition in the sport and to increase prospects for success amongst competitors. These “traditional 8”, as they’re known, were those most commonly used throughout the duration of the twentieth-century, and in 2015, nine more were standardised by the WBA, WBC and IBF.
Today, all 17 are standardised by each of the main sanctioning bodies: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and IBO.
Listed in order of descending weight, the currently-recognised divisions (and their champions) of professional male boxers are as follows.
‘*’ = Traditional 8 ‘italics’ = Alternative naming
*Heavyweight: >14st 4lbs / >90.89kg / >200lbs
WBA SUPER = ANTHONY JOSHUA (GBR)
WBA WORLD = MANUEL CHARR (SYR)
WBC = DEONTAY WILDER (USA)
IBF = ANTHONY JOSHUA (GBR)
WBO = ANTHONY JOSHUA (GBR)
IBO = ANTHONY JOSHUA (GBR)
Cruiserweight: 14st 4lbs / 90.89kg / 200lbs
WBA SUPER = OLEKSANDR USYK (UKR)
WBA WORLD = BEIBUT SHUMENOV (KAZ)
WBC = OLEKSANDR USYK (UKR)
IBF = OLEKSANDR USYK (UKR)
WBO (Junior Heavyweight) = OLEKSANDR USYK (UKR)
IBO = KEVIN LERANA (ZAF)
*Light Heavyweight: 12st 7lbs / 79.38kg / 175lbs
WBA SUPER = [VACANT]
WBA WORLD = DMITRY BIVOL (RUS)
WBC = OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK (UKR)
IBF = ARTUR BETERBIEV (RUS)
WBO = ELEIDER ALVAREZ (COL)
IBO = KARO MURAT (DEU)
Super Middleweight: 12st / 76.21kg / 168lbs
WBA SUPER = GEORGE GROVES (GBR)
WBA WORLD = ROCKY FIELDING (GBR)
WBC = DAVID BENAVIDEZ (GBR)
IBF = [VACANT]
WBO = GILBERTO RAMIREZ (MEX)
IBO = [VACANT]
*Middleweight: 11st 6lbs / 72.58kg / 160lbs
WBA SUPER = GENNADY GOLOVKIN (KAZ)
WBA WORLD = RYOTA MURATA (JPN)
WBC = GENNADY GOLOVKIN (KAZ)
IBF = [VACANT]
WBO = BILLY JOE SAUNDERS (GBR)
IBO = GENNADY GOLOVIN (KAZ)
Super Welterweight: 11st / 69.9kg / 154lbs
WBA SUPER = JARRETT HURD (USA)
WBA WORLD = BRIAN CARLOS CASTANO (ARG)
WBC = JERMELL CHARLO (USA)
IBF (Junior Middleweight) = JARRETT HURD (USA)
WBO (Junior Middleweight) = JAIME MUNGUIA (MEX)
IBO = JARRETT HURD (USA)
*Welterweight: 10st 7lbs / 66.68 kg / 147 lbs
WBA SUPER = KEITH THURMAN (USA)
WBA WORLD = MANNY PACQUIAO (PHL)
WBC = [VACANT]
IBF = ERROL SPENCE JR. (USA)
WBO = TERENCE CRAWFORD (USA)
IBO = THULANI MBENGE (ZAF)
Super Lightweight: 10st / 63.51kg / 140lbs
WBA SUPER = [VACANT]
WBA WORLD = KIRYL RELIKH (BLR)
WBC = REGIS PROGRAIS (USA)
IBF (Junior Welterweight) = [VACANT]
WBO (Junior Welterweight) = MAURICE HOOKER (USA)
IBO = MOHAMED MIMOUNE (FRA)
*Lightweight: 9st 9lbs / 61.24kg / 135 lbs
WBA SUPER = VASYL LOMACHENKO (UKR)
WBA WORLD = [VACANT]
WBC = MIKEY GARCIA (USA)
IBF = MIKEY GARCIA (USA)
WBO = RAYMUNDO BELTRAN (MEX)
IBO = [VACANT]
Super Featherweight: 9st 4lbs / 59kg / 130lbs
WBA SUPER = GERVONTA DAVIS (USA)
WBA WORLD = ALBERTO MACHADO (PRI)
WBC = MIGUEL BERCHELT (MEX)
IBF (Junior Lightweight) = TEVIN FARMER (USA)
WBO (Junior Lightweight) = MASAYUKI ITO (JPN)
IBO = SHAVKATDZHON RAKHIMOV (TJK)
*Featherweight: 9st / 57.16kg / 126lbs
WBA SUPER = LEO SANTA CRUZ (MEX)
WBA WORLD = JESUS MANUEL ROJAS DIAZ (PRI)
WBC = GARY RUSSEL JR. (USA)
IBF = JOSH WARRINGTON (GBR)
WBO = CARL FRAMPTON (GBR)
IBO = [VACANT]
Super Bantamweight: 8st 10lbs / 55.23kg / 122lbs
WBA SUPER = [VACANT]
WBA WORLD = DANIEL ROMAN (USA)
WBC = REY VARGAS (MEX)
IBF (Junior Featherweight) = RYOSUKE IWASA (JPN)
WBO (Junior Featherweight) = ISAAC DOGBOE (GBR)
IBO =[VACANT]
*Bantamweight: 8st 6lbs / 53.53kg / 118lbs
WBA UNIFIED = RYAN BURNETT (IRL)
WBA WORLD = NAOYA INOUE (JPN)
WBC = [VACANT]
IBF = EMMANUEL RODRIGUEZ (PRI)
WBO = ZOLANI TETE (ZAF)
IBO = MICHAEL DASMARINAS (PHL)
Super Flyweight: 8st 3lbs / 52.17kg / 115lbs
WBA SUPER = [VACANT]
WBA WORLD = KHALID YAFAI (GBR)
WBC = WISAKSIL WANGEK (THA)
IBF (Junior Bantamweight) = JERWIN ANCAJAS (PHL)
WBO (Junior Bantamweight) = [VACANT]
IBO = GIDEON BUTHELEZI (ZAF)
*Flyweight: 8st / 50.81kg / 112lbs
WBA SUPER = [VACANT]
WBA WORLD = ARTEM DALAKIAN (UKR)
WBC = CRISTOFER ROSALES (NIC)
IBF = MORUTI MTHALANE (ZAF)
WBO = SHO KIMURA (JPN)
IBO = [VACANT]
Light Flyweight: 7st 10lbs / 48.99kg / 108lbs
WBA UNIFIED = RYOICHI TAGUICHI (JPN)
WBA WORLD = CARLOS CANIZALES (VEN)
WBC = KEN SHIRO (JPN)
IBF (Junior Flyweight) = [VACANT]
WBO (Junior Flyweight) = ANGEL ACOSTA (PRI)
IBO = [VACANT]
Minimumweight: 7st 7lbs / 47.63kg / 105lbs
WBA SUPER = [VACANT]
WBA WORLD = THAMMANOON NIYOMTRONG (THA)
WBC = CHAYAPHON MOONSRI (THA)
IBF (Mini Flyweight) = [VACANT]
WBO (Mini Flyweight) = VIC SALUDAR (PHL)
IBO = SIMPHIWE KHONCO (ZAF)
“Super Champion? Unified Champion?...Wh-what?” Allow me to explain…
The WBA CHAMPION is the boxer that holds the WBA CHAMPION belt, which he received by beating the previous WBA CHAMPION.
The WBA SUPER CHAMPION is the boxer that holds two or more of the other major sanctioning bodies belts in the same weight division. Said boxer doesn’t have to hold the WBA CHAMPION belt to become the WBA SUPER CHAMPION, so it’s possible that there’s a different WBA CHAMPION and WBA SUPER CHAMPION in the same weight division.
If a WBA SUPER CHAMPION manages to acquire the WBA CHAMPION belt as well as his others, then he becomes the WBA UNIFIED CHAMPION. Upon the creation of a WBA UNIFIED CHAMPION, the WBA CHAMPION belt is vacated. So again, it’s also possible that there’s a different WBA CHAMPION and WBA UNIFIED CHAMPION in the same class.
I hope it’s clear, because I haven’t even touched on the INTERIM CHAMPION or what happens in the case of a vacated title – I’ll save that for another post.
*All information was correct on 09/08/2018, when I wrote this post, and from legitimate sources too!
WBA regulations (super, unified, interim etc.)
http://www.wbaboxing.com/wba-regulations/wba-rules-adopted-in-sofia-bulgaria-2015#.W2xgWsPPzIU
Weight division history
https://www.hugmansworldchampionshipboxing.com/weight-divisions-explained
Current champions
WBA: http://www.wbaboxing.com/wba-champions#.W2xiocPPzIU
WBC: http://wbcboxing.com/wbceng/champions
IBF: http://www.ibfusbaregistration.com/ibfusba_02APR2014/index.php/about/champions
WBO: http://www.wboboxing.com/wp-content/themes/wbov2/pdf.php
IBO: https://www.iboboxing.com/champions.html
Boxrec: http://boxrec.com/en/champions
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